“Not from the inactive reserve, at least not without a special order,” countered Fisher. “But I see your point. It wouldn’t take much to get them to issue that order.”
“Right,” Scott agreed. “But the real the reason I needed to talk to you now is what I’m thinking of doing to keep them from taking this ship. And I need to know where your loyalties lie. If you received conflicting orders from me and the Navy, who would you obey?”
“Oh shit, Scott,” said Captain Fisher in a shocked voice. “I don’t even know how to answer that. You know I’m loyal to you and committed to this ship and crew, but I’ve always been a loyal naval officer too. I guess my decision would depend on the circumstances and the nature of the conflicting orders. What do you have in mind?”
“Preventing the Navy or anyone else from taking this ship away from us,” replied Scott seriously.
“How?” asked the captain.
“By being prepared to disable or even sink her.”
“What!? You can’t be serious!”
“I can and I am,” said Scott. “I need to be prepared to convince them that if they force my hand they will lose. We will all lose, of course. But they won’t win. I suppose you could call it blackmail, or a Mexican standoff, but it would only come up if they are prepared to use force to take this ship away from me. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, but I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to like it, but would you go along with it?”
“How would you do it?”
“Well, we could start by disabling the engines. She won’t be much use to the Navy as a barge. We would still be able to live aboard her, even maneuver a little with the bow thruster, and use the Expiscator and the express cruisers to tow her slowly. So we could probably get her to a safe anchorage. If the Navy didn’t let us come to California, which I doubt they would after we did that, we could limp over to the coast of Baja and make the best of it. We’d still have use of all the tenders, vehicles and aircraft. It wouldn’t be ideal, but we could probably survive.
“So disabling the engines would be my first threat, and I’d follow through with it too, if I had to. If they were still intent on seizing her, I’d threaten to scuttle her and abandon ship. I’m not sure that I would actually do that, but I’d want the scuttling charges in place to show them I was serious. And I would need your commitment to back me up, at least to the last possible moment, by refusing to turn over command to them. So, what do you say, Jordie? Can I count on you?”
“I’ll have to think about some of that, Scott,” replied Captain Fisher slowly. “For now, you can count on me to support your bluff. And possibly even disable the engines, although I’d like to do it in a way that we, and only we, could repair them eventually. Maybe remove and hide some critical parts that they wouldn’t be able to replace easily under the current circumstances. But I can’t promise to let you sink this ship. There would be too much danger to the passengers and crew. And to tell you the truth, the Sovereign Spirit really is too valuable to destroy.”
“Good enough,” said Scott with a smile. “As long as you agree not to turn over command to them freely and to back me up to that point, I’ll just have to hope that they don’t call the bluff.” Scott rose and went to shake Fisher’s hand. “Maybe I’m worrying about nothing, but the way things are going now, I just can’t help thinking the worst.”
“There is one other thing we can try,” said Captain Fisher. “Dr. Frost at the CDC sounds like he really wants you to rescue that scientist up in Malibu, right?”
“Yeah, he sounded very serious about it when I spoke to him.”
“So why don’t we try to get through to him again, explain that the Coast Guard and Navy are trying to turn us back or even commandeer our ship, and ask him to email a letter from the CDC? Something like a letter of safe passage stating that we are on a vital mission that could contribute to finding a cure.”
“Hey! That’s a brilliant idea, Jordie. Let’s try it,” Scott said with a grin.
*****
The Navy’s radioed response came within an hour. An exception to the exclusion and quarantine zone would be granted. The Sovereign Spirit and her little flotilla would be allowed to approach Southern California under escort by the Coast Guard cutter Stratton. They were directed to head straight to San Diego, where a discussion of their intentions would take place. Somehow this message did nothing to calm Scott’s nerves. In fact, the idea of sailing into San Diego harbor began to sound like a lamb walking into the butcher shop. It was time to prepare for the worst case scenario. Scott asked Captain Fisher and the chief engineer, Paul Lunt, to meet him in the Engine Room to plan some mischief.
“Okay,” said Scott. “We need to prep some demolition charges.”
“What do you mean?” asked Mr. Lunt.
“We need to be prepared to disable the engines, in case the Navy wants to take this ship away from us,” Scott explained. “So I want real demolition charges planted on the port and starboard engines. Somewhere that will make a big bang and take them out of action, but not blow up the whole ship. Then I want to shut down the center engine and remove some critical and hard to replace parts. We’ll hide them and plant some more explosives to destroy the hidden parts if that becomes necessary. The idea is to convince the Navy that this ship will never be useful to them if they try to take it away from us by force. Got it?”
“You want to blow up my engines?” asked Paul with a desperate tone in his voice.
“They’re my engines,” replied Scott with a voice of steel. “And I don’t want to blow them up. But I will, if that is what it takes to keep possession of this ship. My ship. Understand?”
“Yes sir,” Paul answered. “But do we have to do it for real? Can’t we try to fake them out first?”
“What do you have in mind?” asked Scott. He prided himself on always being open to others’ ideas. “Is there something critical you could blow up and easily replace later?”
“Yes, sir, I think there is,” replied Mr. Lunt. “The transmission gears. The ones for the port and starboard engines aren’t even made anymore except by special order. We replaced them at great expense last year, if you recall. But I saved the old gears as emergency spares because they still had a little life in them. So I can reinstall the old ones and hide the new ones. Then we could destroy the old ones without damage to the actual engines, if we have to.”
“Brilliant!” said Captain Fisher. He glanced at Scott, who nodded, and confirmed his initial reaction. “Do it.”
“What about the new engine?” Scott asked. “What can we do convince them it’s toast too?”
“Well,” replied Mr. Lunt, “We could blow the transmission on that one too, and I do have a spare. But they might have some in San Diego too. It’s brand new. Off the shelf in a major harbor with shipyards like San Diego. I’d recommend removing the computer controls and only destroying them if you have to. I have some spare components for that CPU, but only the factory in Taiwan could replace the whole rack. Without it, that engine is toast too.”
Scott and Captain Fisher exchanged glances again. That new engine was precious. A quarter of a million dollars worth of precious. Irreplaceable now. And it gave the Sovereign Spirit her best endurance cruise range. Using only the center engine, the ship could travel at 8 knots for close to 9,000 miles on a full tank. Without it, their best range was 6,000 miles using both of the other engines at 12 knots. Together the three engines gave a best range of about 7,000 miles at 15 knots. Maximum speed on the center engine alone was 12 knots for 6,000 miles. Max speed on all three engines was 22 knots for 4,500 miles. These calculations used to be economic. Now they may have become critical matters of survival. Either way, the center engine was the most critical.
“Can you make a dummy rack for the center engine CPU?” asked Scott. “One that we could blow up on video if we had to and would pass at least casual inspection by the Navy later? Then hide the real rack?”
“Sure, if I
use some of the spare parts to make it look real,” said Paul Lunt. “How much time do I have?”
“About eight hours,” said the captain. “We’re going to join up with the Coast Guard cutter before we aim for San Diego and until then we will shut down the port and starboard engines, so you can replace the transmissions. We’ll run on the center engine until you finish replacing the other transmissions, then switch over to them to give you time to play with the center engine’s computer rack. We’ll be making about 10 knots the whole way and we don’t want to arrive until daylight anyway. Then I think we’ll have to find some reason to remain outside the harbor. Then we bargain. Then we bluff. Then we see if we have to follow through. Does that sound about right, Commodore?”
Scott was startled when Captain Fisher called him that, but realized that Jordan would need to start thinking that way. If he was going to be able to justify deceiving and possibly defying the Navy he had served for so many years, Captain Fisher needed to consider Scott his commander – his Commodore.
“Yes, Captain,” replied Commodore Scott Allen. “Make it so.”
*****
As they steamed ever closer to the United States border, Scott went back up to his own master suite on the Sky Deck to spend some time with his wife and see what news was still available on the satellite TV. Michelle was busy painting a seascape in her art studio. Her gifted artwork was an outlet that had kept her from fixating upon the horrors that were engulfing the world beyond their secure domain aboard the luxurious ship.
“How you doing, honey?” asked Scott as he entered the studio. “That looks beautiful,” he commented, referring to the vivid colors of a sunset above a breaking wave that flowed gracefully across the canvas with apparent ease. She was a natural artist, whereas Scott could barely doodle, and her paintings had recently been selling for tens of thousands of dollars in prestigious art galleries.
“I’m okay,” replied Michelle. “How about you? I heard about the Coast Guard. Will they let us pass?”
“I’m still not sure, baby,” Scott replied honestly. “They say we can go to San Diego, but I’m a bit worried that they won’t let us leave. They might even try to take the ship away from us.”
“What? They wouldn’t dare! Would they?” Michelle asked, appalled.
“Well, they might,” Scott admitted. “But I’m working on a few schemes to prevent it. Right now I want to check the news. We should be close enough to receive any local TV or radio broadcasts still coming out of San Diego now. I need to get a handle on what we are sailing into. Want to take a break and join me?”
“Sure,” Michelle said, carefully laying down her brush and pallet. “This needs to dry before I add another layer of color to the clouds anyway. How’s everyone else holding up?”
“Billy and his friends are still focused on getting information from the internet and contacting more survivors. I’ve asked them to start looking for news from San Diego online too. A lot of the other people are watching the news on GNN down in the aft lounge. Some are drinking a bit more than they should, but I can’t blame them. I’ve sent a team of volunteers down to the bowling alley and asked them to put up some thick wood and drywall barriers backed by steel plate above the pins. I’m going to turn the bowling alley into a firing range, so everyone can get some practice shooting guns before we face any zombies.”
“That’s a good idea,” Michelle agreed. “I want to learn how to shoot too.”
“Absolutely, honey,” Scott said as they walked into their bedroom and he reached for the TV remote control. “Everyone needs to know how to defend themselves now, but I don’t want you or Billy going ashore any time soon.” He turned on the TV and flicked through the input options until he found digital broadcast. Most of the channels were off the air, or showing only a test pattern, but then he came across one that was still live.
“…last reported locations of protected shelters are outdated. There has been no contact with any shelter south of Balboa Park since yesterday. The 40th Street Navy base has been evacuated. All of the active ships have left the docks and appear to be anchored out in the bay, or docked at Coronado. Survivors trying to reach those ships on small boats have reportedly been fired upon. We have confirmed that the Navy is not accepting any more civilian refugees aboard their vessels.
“The Marine Corps Recruit Depot has also been evacuated. The Navy and Marines have consolidated their lines on Point Loma and Coronado Island. The Coronado Bridge is closed and fortified. The east half of the bridge is flooded with the infected and dead bodies. Marines and Navy SEALS are holding the center of the bridge with constant gunfire and there is discussion of blowing up the center span to permanently secure the island. Do not attempt to cross the bridge. It is impossible.
“Numerous water-taxis and harbor cruise boats that have been commandeered by the Navy are still ferrying survivors across the bay to Coronado from secure docks on Shelter Island, Harbor Island and Seaport Village. The Hotel Del Coronado is the largest active shelter in the San Diego area, but it is overflowing with refugees and new arrivals are being placed into tents provided by the Navy.
“Navy SEALS and military police continue their house-to-house search throughout Coronado to exterminate any infected persons on the island. The Marines are concentrating on fortifying their lines across the Silver Strand, preventing the infected from entering Coronado from the south. Heavy equipment is working behind their fighting lines to construct a permanent defensive wall and a water-filled channel between the ocean and the bay. As noted previously, the infected are afraid of bodies of water and do not swim. The new moat should hold back the press of infected coming from the South Bay and Imperial Beach, as well as those reported to be coming up from Mexico.
“Downtown San Diego is a no-man’s-land. There are uncontrolled fires burning in the Gas Lamp District. The City College shelter was overrun last night, as was most of Balboa Park, although several thousand refugees have taken shelter in the San Diego Zoo. Military and civilian first responders have evacuated the downtown area. Thousands of residents in apartments, condos, hotels and office buildings are essentially trapped. The streets are full of violent attackers. Lindbergh Field airport is closed and unsecured. Stay away from Downtown San Diego.
“All bridges to Harbor Island and Shelter Island were destroyed by the military before they withdrew. Conditions are slightly better there than downtown, with groups of survivors defending hotels and marinas from moderate levels of attacks. There has been little word of conditions in the Mission Bay area since yesterday, but it is believed that Fiesta Island and Sea World are still secure evacuation centers. However, West Mission Bay and Sea World Drives are now jammed with abandoned vehicles and the infected are attacking anyone who approaches. So there is no way for additional refugees to reach those safe zones, except by boat on Mission Bay.
“Miramar Marine Corps Air Station has been abandoned. All operational aircraft were flown to the North Island Naval Air Station on Coronado. Inland suburbs are suffering various levels of infestation. It remains unsafe to travel through communities anywhere in San Diego County. Wilderness areas are less dangerous, but not completely safe. Be aware of the threat at all times and avoid contact with anyone who may be infected.
“If you leave your home it is recommended that you do not do so unarmed. If you stay at home it is recommended that you barricade your doors and windows. Remember that the only sure way to disable the infected is to destroy their brains. This is best accomplished by gun shots to the head, but can also be done with blunt force trauma, or sharp objects through the ears, eyes, or base of the neck.”
Scott had heard enough. He turned off the TV and noticed that tears were flowing down Michelle’s cheeks. He remembered that most of her cousins lived in the San Diego area and realized how hard this news would hit her.
“I’m sorry, Michelle,” Scott whispered as he gave her a hug and felt her tremble in his embrace. “Quite a few people are holding out. The military have e
stablished secure lines, even if they had to give up most of the city. A lot of survivors have made it over to Coronado. It’s quite possible that your cousins and their families are in a safe zone now, or got out of the city. And we will do whatever we can to find them.”
“Oh, shut up, Scott!” she blurted. “We won’t find them. And it sounds like the military isn’t taking in any more refugees. I think you are right to be worried about them taking this ship away from us too. Why wouldn’t they? We’re nothing to them when the whole world is falling apart around us all.” She continued to sob for another minute while Scott held her and hardened his resolve to protect her and everyone aboard his ship. He had to ensure that they were not forced to give up the ship and join the chaos in San Diego.
*****
The Sovereign Spirit and her tagalongs were still about twenty miles offshore when they met up with Coast Guard cutter Stratton at the international border with Mexico. It was a couple of hours before dawn, but the sky was lit by a false dawn from the flames that were consuming Tijuana on the eastern horizon, sparked by an unknown source. Now it was consuming the bullfighting ring near the beach and all the buildings lined up against the border fence. Luckily, the clear zone on the U.S. side would act as a fire break and the wind was mostly calm now. The border fence, reinforced by a line of closely spaced concrete columns, would also prevent a horde of “illegal zombies” from stampeding into San Diego. Not that they wouldn’t have been embraced by a welcoming committee of equally zombified locals.
Scott was up on the bridge with Captain Fisher again, after taking a two hour nap. They were monitoring the preparations in the engine room via closed circuit TV as they watched the Coast Guard Cutter Stratton take station off their port bow. It was an impressive ship, almost as big as the Sovereign Spirit, and brand new too, commissioned only last month with all the modern bells and whistles. The new National Security Cutters were quasi warships, armed with one 57mm Bofors automatic cannon to attack surface targets or aircraft, a 20mm Phalanx close-in-weapons-system for missile defense, several 50 caliber machine guns, and a full suite of electronic warfare gear and countermeasures. An armed MH-65D Dolphin helicopter was perched on the aft deck and another might be concealed in the double hanger.
01 Voyage of the Dead Page 16
